In recent years, the thinking in Hollywood around casting people to play minorities has undergone a shift. The powers-that-be have more often sought out actors with "lived experience" as members of the same minority group. Some actors have even expressed regret for taking roles in the past—from a non-Asian star who played a part-Asian character, to a cis gender star who played a trans character, to a white star who voiced a mixed-race animated character.
The exception to this has been Jewish roles, which are all too rarely played by Jews. It's yet another example of the unwritten rule that, as British Jewish comedian David Baddiel put it, "Jews don't count."
Now, Oppenheimer enters the fray, starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called father of the atomic bomb, and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss—two top-notch actors who surely do an excellent job. (I might see it when it opens this weekend, but I'm not a movie critic.)
Both actors are gentiles playing real-life men whose Jewishness was part of their life stories. As the Jewish Telegraphic Agency explained, research found that "Oppenheimer's assimilated Jewish background and Strauss' strong attachment to Jewish affairs set them up for conflict as men who represented two very different reactions to the pressures of acculturation and prejudice in the mid-20th century."
Actors who have experienced antisemitism could bring those experiences to the big screen. And their casting would signal that the movie's director respects the importance of this element. Perhaps it's no surprise that a largely positive review in The Guardian also noted that director Christopher Nolan "doesn't quite get to grips with the antisemitism that Oppenheimer faced as an assimilated secular American Jew." (It also points out that a non-Jewish actor plays Albert Einstein in the film.)
Should Oppenheimer be held uniquely responsible for casting non-Jews as Jews? No. The same can be said for Helen Mirren playing Golda Meir or more than a dozen other examples cited in a Variety piece: Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsberg; Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz; Oscar Isaac in multiple roles, and more. Steven Spielberg's film The Fabelmans, based on his own Jewish family, cast non-Jews as leads.
Comedian Sarah Silverman has brought attention to this issue on multiple episodes of her podcast, referring to the phenomenon with the term "Jewface." The "brilliant actors" who take on such roles are "not doing anything wrong," she said. But, "The pattern is if the Jewish woman character is courageous or deserves love, she is never played by a Jew." (A notable exception is Jewish actress Rachel Weisz playing a couple of Jewish roles, including Deborah Lipstadt in Denial.)
Some people reject these criticisms and point out that actors always play people different from them. But the issue goes far beyond just a portrayal. It's about representation in one of the most visible arenas of public life.
In publicity campaigns, movie stars appear in media, discussing how their own experiences helped them get into the mindset of their characters. Many who are members of minority groups share stories of facing bigotry and express pride in who they are. In these forums, they can help people learn about, and even develop empathy for, members of that minority group. Every time a Jewish major character is played by a non-Jewish star, that opportunity is lost.
It's badly needed. Antisemitic incidents have reached new heights, including assaults, vandalism, harassment, and more. They're coming from both sides of the political spectrum—from right-wing white supremacist groups and far left members of the "anti-Zionist" hate movement, which as I have explained previously, uniquely refuses Jewish people the right to self-determination.
Movies, and the buzz around them, can even help educate people about who Jewish people are—not just members of a religion, but a scattered nation. We're a tiny minority that does not try to convince or force anyone to be like us, and therefore remains a minority. And though history shows that minorities get blamed for social ills, Jews keep fighting for our own survival. (Writer Mark Twain referred to this in a powerful and memorable quote.)
Simply casting any Jewish actor is not a solution. Sometimes, Jewish actors even take part in projects that are assailed as antisemitic. But casting Jewish actors who have knowledge and understanding of our history can make a difference. They can help to bring love and respect for Judaism to their roles, and to the public's consciousness. It's time for Hollywood to help make this happen.
Josh Levs is a consultant, entrepreneur, and author, and a former journalist for NPR and CNN.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
